Since the beginning of the 2020s, some big changes have taken place in the modern workplace.
Now, many companies allow and even encourage their teams to work from home. This has been great for millions of employees, as it has enabled them to work remotely and reduce their need to travel.
On top of this, employee wellbeing has gained a lot more attention. Companies have started to prioritize the physical and mental health of their employees to ensure that they can perform to the best of their abilities without becoming stressed or unwell.
What are the benefits of increased employee wellbeing?
Here are just some of the benefits:
- Stronger employee loyalty.
- Reduced staff turnover.
- Reduced workplace absences.
- Improved brand image.
- Better industry reputation.
- Less risk of a PR crisis (as a business, you don’t want to have an employee go to the press about poor working conditions or other similar issues).
If you want to become more knowledgeable on this subject, learn more about wellbeing in the workplace.
Now, let’s dive into some smart ways in which you can increase your employee wellbeing – no matter what size business you have.
Promote a healthy workplace
If you didn’t already know, your physical and mental health are interlinked. Essentially, what this means is that if your mental health is bad, then your physical health might also suffer as a consequence and vice-versa.
Therefore, it’s essential that you promote a healthy workplace so that your employees remain in good condition. Here are some useful suggestions:
- Install a water machine.
- Switch sitting desks for standing desks.
- Encourage employees to take frequent breaks.
- Attend health seminars with your team.
- Hold fun exercise classes during dinner breaks.
The healthier your employees are, the better their wellbeing will be.
Create a hybrid work model
As mentioned in the introduction, many companies are now allowing their employees the option to work from home if their role is suitable. So, if you could make this happen, it’s worth consulting with your team to see what they would prefer. If some employees would rather work remotely to save them having to travel to work every week, then it could be worth implementing a hybrid work model.
Collect bi-monthly feedback
Roughly every two months, you should aim to collect feedback from your employees surrounding their views on your working environment. You can collect feedback in various ways, from anonymous, company-wide surveys to in-person interviews.
Doing this will allow you to gain a clear understanding of what you could do to improve the workplace. For example, the majority of your employees might state that they dislike the office lighting and would prefer something more vibrant. Additionally, they might say that they would like to see the introduction of hybrid work.
Make the work environment more sociable
Of course, the priority is to get work done to a high standard each day. However, there’s nothing wrong with making your work environment more sociable. For example, allowing employees to chat with each other during the day and go outside on breaks. This enables stronger team bonds to be formed and stops employees from becoming disheartened by overly serious working conditions.
